Efforts to reduce congestion in Nairobi’s city center have been revived, three years after a previous attempt failed.
A recent meeting at Chatter Hall in Nairobi brought together key stakeholders, including matatu Sacco representatives, police officials, and county authorities, to discuss the initiative.
The discussions focused on critical issues such as the number of designated pick-up and drop-off points for matatus within the Central Business District (CBD). John Kibe, a Sacco representative, stated, “We meet regularly to deliberate on plans proposed by the county governor before implementation.” He added that one of the main topics was the strategy to decongest the city center by eliminating drop-off and pick-up points.
Under the new plan, matatus will be allowed to drop passengers only at specific locations and must leave the city center within five minutes. Another Sacco manager explained, “Only one matatu from each Sacco will be permitted to pick up passengers at a time. This approach aims to remove pick-up points that contribute to traffic jams in the city center.”
The manager also noted that no timeline has been set, as the traffic department and county officials are still developing a system to alert matatus outside the city center to come for passengers.
Matatu operators expressed optimism, stating that if the plan succeeds, it will benefit all stakeholders. They emphasized the need for further discussions before making a final decision.
“We must change our city and there is no shortcut about that. Nairobi is not competing with Kisumu or any other city, we are competing with other international cities and to achieve that we have to make some changes,” Governor Sakaja stated.
This development aligns with recent directives from Nairobi County to relocate hawkers from the city center to backstreet lanes, a move that sparked tension with some matatu operators who use those lanes for parking.
The ongoing efforts to restore order in the city have the backing of State House, as highlighted in President Ruto’s recent remarks on January 26. He praised Governor Johnson Sakaja’s efforts, which include removing overhanging signage from walkways, clearing hawkers from main streets and pedestrian paths, and improving city cleanliness.
President Ruto described these actions as a step in the right direction, noting their potential to significantly enhance the city’s appearance and urban living conditions.
“Nairobi will be the cleanest city in Africa” – Sakaja
Meanwhile, Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja has vowed to make Nairobi the cleanest city in Africa.
He emphasized that restoring order in the capital tops his agenda, with initiatives such as weekly cleaning exercises in the Central Business District (CBD) leading the way.
“Our priority is to ensure this city remains clean,” Governor Sakaja stated.
He expressed confidence that the efforts he is driving will contribute significantly to achieving this goal. “Jiji la Nairobi litakuwa safi kabisa. It will become the cleanest city in Africa,” he asserted.
Four major street cleaning operations have already been carried out in the CBD, taking place on Sunday nights and led by Governor Johnson Sakaja alongside members of the County Executive.
“This will continue, and the exercise will soon extend to areas beyond the CBD,” Sakaja stated.
The governor highlighted that the 3,500 employees of the county’s ‘green army’ are actively cleaning the city every day. Each team has been assigned specific tasks, such as unclogging drains and sweeping streets, to support the initiative.
The cleaning efforts are planned to expand into sub-counties, incorporating greening projects to further enhance the city’s transformation.
